Bursar / Cashier

Administration Building

• Fees and Expenses

• Definition of a Legal Resident

• Refund Policy

• Policies and Procedures

Fees and Expenses

Fees and expenses consist of resident or non-resident tuition, student activity fee, technology fee, parking fee, student life building fee and institution fee.  Fees of all students are due and payable at the time of registration. Payment of fees may be made with Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover Card, cash, money order or by personal or certified check. If a bank declines payment of a student's personal check and returns it to the college, the student's registration will be canceled for nonpayment of tuition & fees and a $30 service charge will be assessed for the returned check.  Registration will not be permitted and official transcripts will not be issued for students whose accounts in the Business Office are delinquent.

Senior Citizen Tuition and Fees

Residents of Georgia who are at least 62 years of age may attend college credit courses at no charge on a space available basis pursuant to Section 402 of the Georgia Board of Regents’ Policy Manual.

Resident Tuition

You may access the following web site to determine tuition amount:

www.usg.edu/student_affairs/tuition/wizard.phtml

The cost to audit a course is the same as that for credit. Students residing in Gadsden County, Florida, Henry County and Houston County, Alabama for the past 12 months will pay tuition at the in-state resident rate.

Non-resident Tuition

Students who are not residents of Georgia (except Gadsden County, Florida, Henry County and Houston County, Alabama residents who are treated as in-state students) will be charged an out-of-state tuition fee in addition to all other fees.

Commercial Truck Driving Program Tuition

As determined by the Technical College System of Georgia, the Commercial Truck Driving program tuition is set at a standard state-wide rate of $125.00 per credit hour.

*FEES AND EXPENSES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE*

Current Fee Schedule (Effective Fall 2011)

Student Activity Fee

Each student will be charged a student activity fee. This fee is used to help defray the expenses of various student services such as publications, athletics, awards, social events, and other college activities and services for students.

Technology Fee

Each student will be charged a technology fee. This fee is used to help defray the expenses of various technology used for educational purposes, including but not limited to, computer labs and technology used for educational purposes.

Parking Fee

Each student will be charged a parking fee. This fee is used to add new and maintain existing parking lots and walkways on the campus.

Student Life Building Fee

Each student will be charged a student life building fee. This fee will be used to cover expenses for the Student Wellness Center on the main campus and expenses for the Student Center at the Early County site.

Institution Fee

Each student will be charged an institution fee.  This fee is assessed to students at all University System of Georgia Institutions by the Board of Regents to help offset state budget reductions.

Additional Course Fees

Students enrolled in an applied music course are required to pay a $250 fee per course.  This fee pays for weekly one-hour private music lessons.

Students enrolled in the Commercial Truck Driving course are required to pay a fuel surcharge fee of $130 to help cover the cost of fuel.

Textbooks and Supplies

The Barnes and Noble Bookstores at both Main Campus and Early County site stock required textbooks and supplies. The cost of books will vary with the courses selected by the individual students. A reasonable estimate of the cost of books per semester for a full-time student ranges from $250-$400.

Graduation Fee

Graduates will pay a fee of $50 to cover the cost of their diploma and cap and gown if they march at the graduation ceremony.  Honor graduates who march will pay a $70 fee to cover their diploma, cap and gown, honor stole and honor seal. Students graduating in absentia will pay a $20 fee to cover the cost of their diploma. There will be a $15 charge for each additional diploma or certificate.  The graduation fee is payable at the time a student applies for graduation. A $15 late fee will be charged if payment is made after the advertised deadline.  

Library Fines

The Librarian will post a schedule of fines for overdue books. Unpaid fines will result in withholding transcripts and denying subsequent college registration until the charges have been paid.

Definition of a Legal Resident

According to the policies of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, an applicant is a legal resident of the State under the following circumstances:

1. (a) If a person is 18 years of age or older, he or she may register as an in-state student only by showing that he or she has been a legal resident of Georgia for a period of at least twelve months immediately preceding the date of registration.
(b) No emancipated minor or other person 18 years of age or older shall be deemed to have gained or acquired in-state status for tuition purposes while attending any educational institution in this State, in the absence of a clear demonstration that he or she has in fact established legal residence in this State.

2. If a person is under 18 years of age, he or she may register as an in-state student only upon showing that his or her supporting parent or guardian has been a legal resident of Georgia for a period of at least twelve months immediately preceding the date of registration.

3. If a parent or legal guardian of a minor changes his or her legal residence to another state following a period of legal residence in Georgia, the minor may continue to take courses for a period of twelve consecutive months on the payment of in-state tuition. After the expiration of the twelve-month period, the student may continue his or her registration only upon the payment of fees at the out-of-state rate.

4. In the event that a legal resident of Georgia is appointed as guardian of a nonresident minor, such minor will not be permitted to register as an in-state student until the expiration of one year from the date of court appointment, and then only by properly showing that such appointment was not made to avoid payment of the out-of-state fees.

5. Aliens shall be classified as nonresident students provided, however, that an alien who is living in this country under an immigration document permitting indefinite or permanent residence shall have the same privilege of qualifying for in-state tuition as a citizen of the United States.

6. Waivers: An institution may waive out-of-state tuition for:
(a) nonresident students who are financially dependent upon a parent, parents, or spouse who has been a legal resident of Georgia for at least twelve consecutive months immediately preceding the date of registration provided, however, that such financial dependence shall have existed for at least twelve consecutive months immediately preceding the date of registration;
(b) international students, selected by the institution president or her/his authorized representative, provided, however, that the number of such waivers in effect at any time does not exceed one percent of the equivalent full-time students enrolled at the institution in the fall term immediately preceding the term for which the out-of-state tuition is to be waived, provided (1) institutions are allowed one percent of waivers for special cases, such as superior out-of-state students in selected programs and/or international students; (2) the maximum fee waiver for any institution is two percent.
(c) full-time employees of the University System, their spouses, and their dependent children;
(d) medical and dental residents and medical and dental intems at the Medical College of Georgia;
(e) full-time teachers in the public schools of Georgia or in the programs of the State Board of Technical and Adult Education and their dependent children. Teachers employed full-time on military bases in Georgia shall also qualify for this waiver;
(f) career consular officers and their dependents who are citizens of the foreign nation which their consular office represents and who are stationed and living in Georgia under orders of their respective governments. This waiver shall apply only to those consular officers whose nations operate with educational reciprocity toward the United States;
(g) military personnel and their dependents stationed in Georgia and on active duty unless such military personnel are assigned as students to System institutions for educational purposes.
(h) students who are legal residents of out-of-state counties bordering on Georgia counties in which an institution of the University System is located and who are enrolled in said institution.

Right of Appeal of Residence Classification

A student is responsible for registering under the proper residency classification. A student classified as a nonresident who believes that he/she is entitled to be reclassified as a legal resident may petition the Director of Admissions for a change in status. The petition must be filed with the Director of Admissions prior to the semester in which the student is to be considered for reclassification. If the petition is granted, reclassification will not be retroactive to prior terms.

Refund Policy

Students who register and withdraw before the end of the scheduled drop/add/registration day are entitled to a 100% refund of tuition and fees. Students who officially withdraw from the college after the scheduled drop/add/registration period may receive tuition and fee refunds according to the following policy:

Refund for Withdrawal from ALL Courses

The refund amount for a student withdrawing from the institution is based on a pro rata percentage determined by the following calculation:

Note:  The total of calendar days in a semester includes weekends but excludes scheduled breaks of five or more days

1. Divide the number of calendar days in the semester that the student completed by the total calendar days in the semester to obtain the percentage of term completed.  If percentage is greater than 60%, there is no refund due; if not, continue to the next step. 
2. Multiply fees paid by percentage of term completed to obtain the amount the institution retains.
3. Subtract the amount the institution retains from the total fees to obtain student’s refund.  

Students who withdraw and receive financial assistance may owe a repayment to any or all financial aid sources.  This repayment is determined after the withdrawal is processed.  Students are notified of the repayment amounts.

No refunds are allowed for reduction in hours unless such is the fault of the college.

Veterans' Benefits

Students in training under the G.I. Bill must pay all fees at registration since they receive benefits directly from the Veterans' Administration.

Vocational Rehabilitation

Students whose fees are paid by the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, must request that copies of their grades be sent to the Vocational Rehabilitation Office each semester. The College Business Office receives written authorization of attendance from the Vocational Rehabilitation Office prior to the student's registration each semester.

Continuing Education Program Fees

Fees for Continuing Education programs vary according to the program. Persons enrolling in these noncredit courses will pay fees as advertised in the course announcement. Registration for Continuing Education programs is on a first-paid, first-enrolled basis. Students are not guaranteed places in courses until registration fees are paid.
If the college cancels a noncredit course, students will be notified and issued a complete refund. Students who wish to withdraw from a noncredit course must notify the college at least 24 hours prior to the start date of the course. Refund requests made after this deadline will not be honored.